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Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa (2019–20)
| next = }} Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa was a match which took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 10 August 2019. Harry Kane scored two late goals as Tottenham came from behind to beat newly promoted Aston Villa. John McGinn's beautifully composed finish, after Tyrone Mings' long ball forward caught out the Spurs defence, had put Dean Smith's side ahead. Tottenham were sluggish for long periods before their new £53.8m club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele equalised from outside the penalty area moments after new Villa keeper Tom Heaton had denied Davinson Sanchez with a flying save. With four minutes remaining, Kane's emphatic finish from 10 yards put the hosts ahead before the England captain sealed the points from the edge of the penalty area. Despite the scoreline, this was far from a straightforward victory for last season's Champions League runners-up. Tottenham were sluggish for long periods and were heading towards a surprise defeat before scoring three times in the final 17 minutes. Despite failing to sign Argentine forward Paulo Dybala, Spurs have strengthened significantly this summer as they look to improve on last season's fourth place. But they started in similar fashion to their lacklustre form at the end of the 2018-19 season, when they won just one of their last five domestic games. Pochettino was missing several important players because of injury and fitness, including Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, and new additions Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani lo Celso. They lacked invention and sharpness before Ndombele equalised after Villa failed to clear their lines when Heaton had stuck out a big hand to keep out Sanchez. Villa still looked good value for a point before Kane, who had never scored in August until last season, struck twice in the final four minutes. He made it 2-1 after Jack Grealish, a Spurs transfer target 12 months ago, lost possession, and then wrapped it up with a clinical finish which left Villa crestfallen. It was hardly vintage Spurs but at least they are up and running before next Saturday's visit to champions Manchester City. For long periods, Villa were good value to take at least a point back to the West Midlands. Instead the team which finished fifth in the Championship table last season were handed a cruel reminder of the realities of Premier League football. Villa have been away from the top flight for three years but they quickly made up for lost time by scoring with their first shot, McGinn keeping his cool to slot past Hugo Lloris after Moussa Sissoko and Danny Rose failed to get a challenge in on the Scotland midfielder. Spurs were a shadow of the team that beat Manchester City and Ajax on the way to last season's Champions League final and Villa had opportunities to extend their advantage. New signing Trezeguet created space for an opening but could not finish while Grealish also had a chance, before Tottenham turned the game on its head in the closing stages. Despite defeat, Smith will seize on the positives. His side played with freedom and a spirit which suggests they are capable of holding their own at this level. Match Details Kane |goals2 = McGinn |stadium = Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London |attendance = 60,407 |referee = Chris Kavanagh }} |valign="top"| |valign="top" width="50%"| |} Match Stats Match Stats= {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- !width=130|Overall !width=70|Tottenham Hotspur !width=70|Aston Villa |- !scope=row|Goals scored |3||1 |- !scope=row|Total shots |31||7 |- !scope=row|Shots on target |7||4 |- !scope=row|Ball possession |70%||30% |- !scope=row|Corner kicks |14||0 |- !scope=row|Fouls committed |13||9 See also *2019-20 Premier League: Match day 1 External links * Match report at BBC.co.uk * Match report at Premier League.com Category:2019-20 Match Day info Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. matches Category:Aston Villa F.C. matches Category:2019–20 Premier League Matches